9 Anime Like Hunter x Hunter for Epic Adventures
Craving more anime with Hunter x Hunter's intricate power systems, morally complex characters, and adventures that keep getting deeper? These 9 deliver.
Hunter x Hunter isn't just a great shonen — it's a shonen that kept evolving into something you didn't expect. From the lighthearted Hunter Exam to the morally devastating Chimera Ant arc, Togashi built a world where the power system is a puzzle, the villains are sympathetic, and the heroes don't always win. If you need more anime that refuse to stay in one lane, these 9 deliver that same restless brilliance.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Two brothers broke the ultimate taboo of alchemy trying to resurrect their mother, and now they're on a journey to get their bodies back. Brotherhood shares Hunter x Hunter's ability to shift between genres seamlessly — it's a buddy adventure, a political thriller, a war story, and a philosophical meditation on equivalent exchange, sometimes in the same episode. The power system is just as logically satisfying as Nen, and the payoff across 64 episodes is immaculate.
JUJUTSU KAISEN
Itadori swallows a cursed finger and enters a world of sorcerers fighting curses born from human negativity. The cursed energy system has that same Nen energy — specific, rule-based, and rewarding viewers who pay attention to the constraints. Where it really echoes Hunter x Hunter is in its villains: Sukuna and Mahito aren't evil for evil's sake, they operate on their own internally consistent logic, and some of the best fights are won through strategy rather than raw power.
Chainsaw Man
Denji is a broke teenager who merges with a devil and becomes a government weapon — not because he has grand ambitions, but because he wants to eat breakfast and maybe touch a girl. The raw, unfiltered honesty of his motivations is refreshing in the same way early Gon was — a protagonist who isn't pretending to be noble. The world-building is equally unhinged, with devils representing fears in ways that are both creative and disturbing.
Mob Psycho 100
Mob is the most powerful psychic alive, and he'd trade it all to be better at talking to people. ONE writes protagonists who subvert shonen expectations the same way Togashi does — Mob's greatest victories come from emotional growth, not power-ups. The action animation is explosive when it needs to be, but the show's real strength is making you care about a quiet kid trying to become a good person in a world that keeps testing him.
Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghostfiles
Togashi's earlier masterpiece — a delinquent dies, comes back to life, and becomes a spirit detective fighting demons. It's literally Hunter x Hunter's predecessor, and you can see Togashi working out the ideas that would become Nen in the show's power system. The Dark Tournament arc is peak battle shonen, and the shift in the final arc toward moral ambiguity directly anticipates the Chimera Ant arc's willingness to make you question who the real monsters are.
ONE PIECE
Luffy wants to be King of the Pirates, and his journey spans over a thousand episodes of world-building that somehow keeps getting deeper. One Piece matches Hunter x Hunter's scope — every arc expands the world in ways that recontextualize earlier events, and Oda's ability to make you cry over a boat or a flag is the same emotional alchemy that makes Meruem and Komugi's relationship devastating. The investment is massive, but the payoff is proportional.
Made in Abyss
Asta is born without magic in a world where magic is everything, and his solution is to scream louder and swing harder than anyone else. It starts rough — the pacing is uneven and Asta's yelling is a lot — but Black Clover undergoes the same kind of transformation Hunter x Hunter does. By mid-series, the battles are genuinely strategic, the side characters have real depth, and the power system evolves into something that rewards careful attention.
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Aladdin and Alibaba explore a world of dungeons, djinn, and political intrigue inspired by Arabian Nights. Magi shares Hunter x Hunter's willingness to tackle systemic injustice head-on — slavery, class warfare, and the corruption of power aren't subtext, they're the text. The magic system is inventive, the character dynamics are warm, and the show isn't afraid to let its protagonists fail when they're wrong.
Kemono Michi: Rise Up
An organization of agents defends Earth from interdimensional invaders using specialized weapons called Triggers. The combat system is the star — every fight is a tactical puzzle where positioning, team composition, and creative use of limited tools matter more than who's strongest. It's the closest thing to Nen battles in terms of intellectual satisfaction. The protagonist, Osamu, is deliberately weak and wins through leadership and strategy, which is pure Togashi philosophy.
Hunter x Hunter set the standard for shonen that respects its audience — complex systems, complicated morality, and the willingness to go wherever the story needs to go. These 9 anime all inherited that DNA in different ways. The best adventures aren't the ones where the hero always wins — they're the ones where winning means something.
Want more recommendations like these?
🔥 Browse all “Need Courage” picksYou Might Also Like
8 Anime That Will Light a Fire Under You
Feeling stuck? These anime about courage, perseverance, and chasing dreams will inspire you to get moving. Perfect for when you need a motivational boost.
🔥 Need CourageBest Anime to Watch After a Bad Day at Work
Had a rough day at the office? These anime will help you decompress, feel empowered, and remind you that your job doesn't define you.
🔥 Need CourageUnderdog Anime That Prove Anyone Can Rise
No talent? No connections? No problem. These anime follow underdogs who refused to accept their place — and clawed their way to the top through sheer grit.